Celebrating the Telugu New Year!
This past Sunday (March 18), Telugu devotees enjoyed their annual New Year festivities known as Ugadi. Ugadi (New Year's Day) is celebrated by Telugu and Kannada speaking people, who primarily hail from Andhra Pradesh, in India. 'Ugadi Day' is symbolic of a fresh start and begins with an extensive oil bath. ‘Rangolis’ or ‘Kolams’ are drawn in front of homes and doors, and windows are decorated with a 'thorana' (mango leaves strung together). The green mango leaves tied to the doorway signify good crops and one's overall well-being. After ceremonial formalities, it is time for the preparation of the famous 'Ugadi Pachadi' of Andhra Pradesh.
Local devotee, Sheetal Pillay said, "Ugadi Pachadi has an important symbolic meaning: life brings different experiences to us, ranging from sweet to bitter. Therefore, each individual should learn to take each different experience in their stride, and move ahead with life. This is also the season for the aroma of raw mangoes to permeate the air and for fully-blossomed neem trees to cleanse the air. Devotees then enjoy, 'jaggery', which is made with a fresh crop of sugarcane and is meant to add a renewed flavour to typical dishes associated with Ugadi Day."
Seven year old Bianca and her mom, Sheetal Pillay, of Ninette Street Erasmia, participated in new years prayers at Laudium’s Shree Vishnu Mandir (behind Shell garage).